I was eagerly looking forward to writing an article on resignations on New Year\u2019s Eve because like many Ghanaians, I have been expectant for the major announcement from the Power Minister – Dr. Kwabena Donkor.<\/p>\n
Instead, Transport Minister, Dzifa Attivor (or should I rather say former) unexpectedly announced her resignation.<\/p>\n
Both traditional and new media have been awash with praises for what some describe as an honourable move from the Minister, considering that such practices are not common in our dear country Ghana and African politics in general. News of Dzifa Attivor’s resignation indeed remains a shock to many.<\/p>\n
But\u00a0I am not in a state of disbelief or shock. Instead, I am happy; and that\u2019s not because she has lost a privileged position, a trait often referred to in Ghana as the \u2018Pull Him Down\u201d syndrome, largely borne out of envy.<\/p>\n
I am thrilled because there is only a minute group of genuine \u2018honourables\u2019 in a sea of \u2018dishonourable\u2019 members in Ghana. I am happy because there seem to be a shred of hope for leadership in our country.<\/p>\n
Attivor\u2019s resignation should ordinarily not be a surprise, but in a country where people blatantly defend the indefensible in the face of discernible negligence, she is being viewed as a heroine.<\/p>\n
This is no news in many countries around the world. But here, it is a big deal.<\/p>\n
In Latvia, a Prime Minister, Valdis Dombrovskis, resigned after a supermarket roof collapsed killing 50. His spokesperson said at the time Dombrovskis was taking political responsibility for the tragedy.<\/p>\n
The South Korean Prime Minister also took same decision after a sinking ferry claimed many lives.<\/p>\n
The captain who survived the disaster was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.<\/p>\n
But the Prime Minister in this instance also took responsibility and resigned.<\/p>\n
He said at the time, \u201cWatching the pain of the families who lost their loved ones and grief and anger of the people, I felt that the Prime Minister should take responsibility\u201d.<\/p>\n
Coming home to my dear Ghana where more than 150 people died in the June 3 disaster and the Mayor of Accra is still at post, touting his credentials as a good mayor and asking Ghanaians to vote him to become a Member of Parliament because he has done such a marvelous job. Please, a BIG round of applause for him!<\/p>\n
Sometime ago, a \u201cpowerful\u201d Interior Minister resigned after a building he owned collapsed and killed one. A report concluded he wasn\u2019t personally responsible for the collapse, but he bore the responsibility.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to our \u2018beautiful\u2019 country, Ghana.<\/p>\n
Two high rise buildings collapsed in a spate of two years and killed many. No one took responsibility, no one apologised and everyone pretended tragedies were part of a normal life and we all carried on as usual.<\/p>\n
When the June 3 2015 disaster struck, Accra Mayor, Alfred Vanderpuije granted an interview to the BBC and was categorically asked if he owed anyone an apology. His answer was an emphatic NO. As far as he was concerned, he has been efficient at his job. His efficiency indeed, caused the loss of over 150 lives on that day.<\/p>\n
All the city mayor did was to shamefully analyse the problems to the citizenry instead of accepting responsibility and stepping aside.<\/p>\n
And while he failed to resign, for the sake of cronyism and a lack of political will, the President maintains him.<\/p>\n
A few months back in Talensi, many called for the head of the Interior Minister, Mark Woyongo over his infamous \u201cviolence begets violence\u201d comment following clashes in the by-election. Many thought the comment from an interior Minister was unpardonable and wanted him out of government.<\/p>\n
Should he have apologized? Was he supposed to have resigned? Well, none happened. The \u2018big boss\u2019 is still at post.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, many who oversee such negligence get an upgrade instead of a downgrade from the appointing power. Ghana\u2019s debacle at the World Cup in Brazil quickly comes to mind, where a Minister of State, instead of weeping to his house, wept, only to take on another job at the presidency.<\/p>\n
So why did Dzifa Attivor decide to take responsibility for this particular incident where Ghc3.6 million of Ghana\u2019s revenue was wasted on re-branding buses? Her personal assistant, Egypt Kudoto told Citi FM the buck stops with the one in charge.<\/p>\n
What is not clear now is if investigations by the Attorney General into the outrageous payment indicted the Transport Minister or not.<\/p>\n
Was it her decision to jump before a push? Either way, majority of the people believe the best decision to have been taken was what she took and that has earned her some level of respect even from her political opponents.<\/p>\n
Now attention has shifted to the Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor.<\/p>\n
He ought to learn from this and resign in four days from now when December 2015 ends and \u2018dumsor\u2019 or load shedding still persists.<\/p>\n
I may be sounding too pessimistic but I think it won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n
There is a vast difference between Madam Attivor\u2019s resignation and Dr. Donkor\u2019s anticipated one.<\/p>\n
Donkor publicly announced he would resign if he fails to end dumsor by December 2015; Attivor didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
But why did we believe Dr Donkor? How did we accept that he was going to end dumsor\/load shedding by December 2015 or actually resign if he fails? Both didn\u2019t sound plausible.<\/p>\n
Dr. Donkor is a smart man. Instead of preparing his handing over notes and apologizing for an unfulfilled promise, he is seriously engaging in semantics. By the time we are through with when exactly he will be ending dumsor, March 2016 would be here. You don\u2019t mess with Dr Donkor.<\/p>\n
Back to Madam Attivor; does her resignation end the cry over the spending of a whopping amount to rebrand buses? Does it in anyway clear the image of the government and proves it is tough on corruption? Is her resignation the end to demands for a retrieval of the money?<\/p>\n
These are questions we will hope to have answers to in the coming days.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, thank you Madam Dzifa Attivor for an honourable offer to end 2015.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, this is the first in a series going forward.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
By: Eugenia Tenkorang\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I was eagerly looking forward to writing an article on resignations on New Year\u2019s Eve because like many Ghanaians, I have been expectant for the major announcement from the Power Minister – Dr. Kwabena Donkor. Instead, Transport Minister, Dzifa Attivor (or should I rather say former) unexpectedly announced her resignation. Both traditional and new media […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":130531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[8,38],"yoast_head":"\n